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When Debt Collectors Won’t Stop, Despite Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

collection letter

Get a collection notice after you’ve filed bankruptcy and after you’ve gotten a discharge, and it’s easy to be distressed. You’ve taken the hard step to get a fresh start, and it appears not to have worked. It’s easy to assume that the collector has a right to its money.  Easy, too, to assume your […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights

Which Creditors Should You Really Fear?

By Cathy Moran

scary creditors

A debt collector’s threat to sue you usually produces terror. You’re scared about losing your wages, or your bank accounts.  Scared about being served with process at work. The threat of a lawsuit often triggers the first call to my law office. Some collector has said he will take 25% of your wages, or will serve […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights

Incorporating A Troubled Business: Work-around Or Worse?

By Cathy Moran

business bankruptcy

Facets on a gem bend light and change how we see things. The same thing happens when bankruptcy law encounters a small business owner and the business itself. Seen from one angle of the law, the business is a valuable asset. Seen from another, it is nothing more than a job for the owner, having […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Small business

Ten Debts That Follow You After Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

debts after bankruptcy

Some debts just follow you out of bankruptcy. Not many but a few. These debts continue to be collectible even after a Chapter 7 discharge.  The discharge in Chapter 13 is different and broader:  just another reason to choose Chapter 13. 1.   Family support Regardless of what it’s called, court ordered payments for support […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Life after bankruptcy Tagged With: 2017, debts after bankruptcy

Who Owns Your Business When You File Bankruptcy?

By Cathy Moran

business bankruptcy

The bankruptcy trustee’s question was straightforward (if inartful) yet the business owner nearly blew the answer. The trustee asked:  are you the sole owner of your business? When my client hesitated, she followed up:  are you a sole proprietor? Focusing on the fact that he was the only person with an interest in the business, […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Small business, True Stories Tagged With: 2018

When Is The Right Time To File Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

when to file bankruptcy

It can be hard to know when it’s the right time to file bankruptcy. But I was blown away by the man who called my law office. Should I wait until all of my savings are gone to file bankruptcy?, the caller asked. And he didn’t mean, until my net worth is greatly reduced; he meant, until […]

Filed Under: Considering Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights

Debt Collector Threats: Which Ones Are Real?

By Mike Cardoza

debt collector

“What debt collector threats should people be afraid of?” was the question my friend bankruptcy attorney Cathy Moran asked. To which I replied, “Afraid of? Pretty much none of them!” Because they’re mostly all empty threats. You’re not going to jail,   They are not going to come get you, Your credit is not about to […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights, Debt Collection Rights Tagged With: 2018

Financial Fundamentals: Credit v. Debit

By Cathy Moran

financial literacy building blocks

Just because it’s plastic, doesn’t mean it’s a credit card. Yet when I ask my clients about their credit card accounts, too many of them proffer their debit card. And the confusion about plastic cards that aren’t credit cards isn’t confined to those in debt. My young adult son struggles with the distinction, too. So, […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights Tagged With: 2017

No Rush To File Bankruptcy

By Cathy Moran

filing bankruptcy

When the virus steals your income, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with unpaid bills and terrifying economic uncertainty. Immediate relief by filing bankruptcy may look appealing. Make it all go away, you say. I’ll never pay this off. But not so fast. With few exceptions, this bankruptcy attorney thinks it’s too early in this pandemic to […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights Tagged With: 2020

Reaffirm Your Car Loan: The Bankruptcy Fight You Hope To Lose

By Cathy Moran

reaffirmation loss

It isn’t often I go into bankruptcy court, hoping to lose. But when the issue is reaffirmation of a car loan, that’s the strategy.  I desperately want the judge to deny approval of my client’s proposed reaffirmation of his car loan. And most of my judges will deliver, from the bench, the pitch I’ve made […]

Filed Under: Consumer Rights Tagged With: 2020

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Bankruptcy Basics

About The Soapbox

You’ve arrived at the Bankruptcy Soapbox, a resource of bankruptcy information and consumer law.

Soapbox is a companion site to Bankruptcy in Brief, where I try to be largely explanatory and even handed (Note I said “try”).

Here, I allow myself to tell stories and express strong opinions. We dig deeper into how to consider bankruptcy and navigate a bankruptcy case.

Moran Law Group
Bankruptcy specialists for individuals and small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area

How Bankruptcy Works

Everyone gets $1M + bankruptcy exemption

Bankruptcy exemptions vary from state to state, but everyone gets an exemption of ~$1.75 M for money in an IRA. It's part of the Bankruptcy Code (section 522(n)) that applies to all filers, wherever they live. The exemption covers both classic, before-tax IRA's and Roth IRA's that are funded with after-tax dollars. … Read more

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